Letters to the Editor Saturday

Given the results of the meeting held on June 6 outlining the county’s controversial plan to redo Johnny Mercer Boulevard, it would appear that its strongest supporter is our county government.

An informal vote reflected only one vote in favor of the project out of approximately 300 in attendance. I have lived on Wilmington Island since 1972 by choice, due to the favorable and natural surroundings for residential living, including its trees and traffic patterns.

During the past couple of years, the county has added many miles of sidewalks and bike paths in order to make it more pedestrian and biker safe. I commend the county for these improvements.

I do not agree, however, that the island needs a complete makeover of its existing traffic patterns. This would, in effect, be a disaster for existing and future residents.

If the county feels so strongly in their plan, why not allow the citizens of the island, those affected the most, to make the final decision by holding a referendum of island residents? This would be the fairest way to resolve an issue affecting thousands of residents. Why should our county leaders object to such a resolution?

NEAL V. PURVIS

Savannah

Know exactly where ‘cloud’ is located

I was interested to read Jesse Bushkar’s column in the June 7 Exchange section of the Savannah Morning News. While Mr. Bushkar did a commendable job explaining what “the cloud” is, he omitted one key point. Specifically, be sure you know where the data centers supporting the cloud are located.

Some may, in fact, be offshore, where access to information laws is different from those in the USA.

ROBERT N. BAUGNIET

Savannah

Simple fix for future traffic headache

I am concerned about the impact of a piece of local infrastructure development on traffic through the southern end of the city, especially at peak hours.

I am wondering what will happen when Truman Parkway opens. I think Highway 204 will become a parking lot during the afternoon rush hour. With Hunter Army Airfield’s southernmost gate also feeding onto Abercorn Extension at Rio Road, this is going to be a nightmare.

Since the consolidation point is at Rio and Abercorn, the only expansion or improvement necessary is to widen Highway 204 to three lanes from the light at Rio to King George Boulevard. That would alleviate the constriction effect and increase the effective flow rate of Highway 204 considerably, all the while requiring minimal cost and time.

The current bridge should be able to handle three lanes adequately (through with the omission of a breakdown lane). The rest is just paint.

In fact, even if one simply repainted three lanes from the end of the bridge to the turn lane at King George Boulevard, it would minimize “post-bridge” congestion and allow more efficient flow. It seems to me that, with such a simple solution, why have we been putting up with what we have for so long?

And, even if the cost is significant (if, say, supplementing the bridge is necessary), it’s a fraction of the remaining Truman project and would have a huge impact on commuter traffic.

MARCUS BAUMGARTNER

Flemington

Big money had role in Wisconsin vote

In today’s politically charged environment, Tuesday’s recall election in Wisconsin has taken on prodigious importance as a harbinger of the future.

One has to question the role of the media in this anomaly, as evidenced by your June 7 editorial entitled “On, Wisconsin.”

Could the results of this failed attempt to recall Gov. Scott Walker simply be the result of the electorate believing that no malfeasance had occurred?

Anyone not residing under a rock is aware of the severe economic strains felt by state governments over the past few years. These strains are the very ones that many individuals deal with daily as jobs are lost and pensions are cut or eliminated.

But to opine that this recall centered on big government vs. austerity seems to miss the mark. Or perhaps the mark is being manipulated by the media.

I suspect the larger issue in Wisconsin will be the same in this fall’s presidential election: the role of big money in controlling the elections.

The influence of the wealthy does not know party boundaries or state lines. The majority of the money raised by Gov. Walker to fight the recall came from outside of Wisconsin.

I’m sure that we will all be aghast at the obscene amount of resources spent by both parties this fall on the national elections. But until genuine campaign finance law reform takes place, we will not truly know the pulse of the people.

STEPHEN WARD

Savannah

Wisconsin’s governor ‘slave’ to political donors

If there was ever any doubt about the political leanings of this paper, your June 7 editorial certainly took care of that.

The 100 percent backing of Gov. Scott Walker and his goal to cripple public-sector unions is right out of the Republican playbook. I’ve never been a big fan of unions, but the pendulum has swung so far to the right that I may have to reconsider.

You state that this was all about cutting spending and balancing Wisconsin’s budget. What you failed to mention was that the state worker unions had agreed to every one of the governors’ demands for pay and benefit cuts.

You laud the great victory, but failed to mention the huge outside contributions that allowed Walker to outspend his opponents seven to one. Early in the race, he was spending 25 times as much money.

The last, but most important factor, that went unreported was Scott’s virtual slavery to a few billionaire backers. He is on record admitting that the Koch brothers and another billionaire from Racine, Wisc., had told him their top priority was the busting of unions.

The Koch brothers have been his biggest financial backers for many years. These are the same two guys who have announced they will spend $400 million during this election cycle for federal and state races, with the emphasis on union busting.

Scott Walker may claim to be looking out for the best interests of his state, but the reality is that the best interests of his largest political donors is priority number one.

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The People of Wisconsin did not want the recall. The cowardly democratics in their State house who ran and hid in Ilinoise to avoid a vote did. The Democratic National Committee did. The Unions and all the out of State Union activist who showed up with clip boards and petitions did. Union Money did, but in the end the people most affected, those who could legally vote defeated the Democrat Machine and Chicago ganster politics again and by more votes. Under Walker Taxes have gone down, employment is up, and a surplus is being created. If Union members want to take home more money every month stop paying Union dues and spend it how you want insted of political hacks wasting it. President Obama take note! Michelle start packing. Hope and change is coming to your door.

Sounds like some sour grapes, guys. As for the money, nobody is denying what you've said. I just wonder why you didn't mention the HUGE amounts of money spent by Scott Walker's opponents, especially BIG LABOR, much of it coming from OUTSIDE the state. They spent this money, and still lost. As for money that will be spent this November in the presidential and other elections, its ALWAYS been ridiculous, for Republicans and Democrats. Like term limits and a balanced budget amendment, Congress will NEVER pass campaign finance reform. They don't like laws that say how long they can stay in power, spend our money, or how they raise money to get into and stay in power. Again, both parties are guilty of this. And until more independents or third party candidates are elected, this arrogance will continue.

As the number of union member has declined since the 1970’s so has the rate of the national income going to the middle class has declined. As unions and the middle class declined, the rate of pay for the highest-income Americans has went up dramatically. Without unions or any other organized force to fight for workers’ share of economic gains, the middle class is dwindling.

I suppose you would rather Wisconsin and dozens of other states that are on the brink of bankruptcy just ignore the reality that too-generous public union contracts are the single greatest problem for their bottom line and that unreasonable collective bargaining has and will continue to feed that problem. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

People's pay should be based on their own merits not by some union bosses. These same union bosses who members pay their dues therefore making them (their bosses rich) and you think that these wealthy bosses who Obama is in bed, with should be representing them. I don't see it.These union bosses don't know their people. They have no clue as to who these people are (union members) and they are suppose to be representing them? In case anyone doesn't know, this election is a message for the American people. Think about it. Do you want other people doing your thinking for you or making decisions for you? Be thankful this election turned out the way it did. People of Wisconsin have spoken loud and clear. Hopefully they have spoken for all of us.

...Carpenter Local 256 Savannah Georgia, both corrupt been there done that. As far as $18.00 an hour here in Savannah for skilled labor, right now in Savannah you can bet your ignorance what a man would do for a job to support his family. Then you have minority contractors....enough said.